No Monitors!

[kerravonsen]

Yesterday, my lovely widescreen monitor died.
Then the old replacement monitor also died. Arrrgh!

Here are the sorry details:

Yesterday, my 24" widescreen Acer LCD monitor started doing alarming things, horizontal streaks of pixels flickering and moving sideways, and then settling down a bit, and then doing it again. Then it got to the point where it would display dimly, and then after half a minute it would go completely black. I tried adjusting monitor settings, but it didn't make any difference.

It's dead, Jim.

So I thought, hey, at least I still have my previous monitor (a Samsung SyncMaster 710v), so I can use that!
I couldn't test it properly until this morning. Hooked it up, started it up...
It worked okay until I started X. Then the "Not Optimum Resolution" error message floated all over the screen, and nothing I did, nothing at all, got rid of that message, even when I rebooted.
Turns out it's a known HARDWARE problem with Samsung monitors. Which can apparently be fixed if you solder a resistor in at some special spot. The instructions I've come across for this assure one that it is easy and simple -- provided one owns and knows how to wield a soldering iron. (rolls eyes)

So it looks as if I have to go monitor shopping on Monday. (sigh)
At least I still have my laptop (which is what I am using right now).

Any suggestions for reliable brands for computer monitors?

Comments

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I've had my own Acer for about three years and - touch wood - have never had any trouble with it. But electronics products are normally so reliable these days that, whichever brand of monitor you choose, I suspect that you'd be very unlucky to get a duff one.